Next Generation
by NinakPerry
Summary: Small town kids


She wondered if she would see him again.

She walked down the street to the local coffee shop. This was 'her place'. It was the best kept secret and she wasn't about to tell anyone about it. It was her escape, her alone time, the only place she could be alone with her thoughts and escape the rest of the world.

Why did she need to escape today? She always needed to just fade away. She wondered if everyone feels like this.

"The usual" the barista asked.

"You know it" she replied. She sat in her corner, set up her laptop and opened her journal. She stared at the fresh page...

The fresh page always excited her. If she wrote down what she wanted to, someone could find it and they may know the real her. However, she yearned for a place to just say everything! She wanted to be honest. She wanted to be fully honest, and have a place to say everything. How healing that would be if she could just let go.

The fresh page was also the excitement of the unknown. Who did she want to be? Where did she want to go? She could be anyone, and do anything. Did she want to be the most popular girl in high school with all the boys asking her to go to Prom? Did she want to be a Police Officer? A Doctor? A Lawyer? A Therapist? She could be married with children or an undercover CIA Agent. Maybe she was a Russian KGB Agent sent to flirt and fraternize with American Leaders. They would drool over the curves of her body and tell her high classified secrets. She could be a Lady of the Night who is learning how to express herself and seeking out men who would fulfill her desires –

"Your Coffee and Wrap" said the Barista.

She jumped.

"Did I scare you?"

"Oh no. I'm sorry. I just get into my writing."

The Barista looked at the blank screen, back at her and then walked away.

_She thinks I'm crazy._

She looked back at the blank page. What should she do? She had a million ideas. She also had no follow through. She liked to start stories but not finish them.

Sigh.

She sipped her coffee, thought a minute and then started to write.

"_Dear Diary,_

_This is your best friend Lea. I went on a date last night. He is black, laid back, a bad boy and thinks I have plump lips. I think I look like a Pear but he said he'd love to grab my hips. I know this isn't how to start a real relationship but I love the bad boys. The wounded ones make me feel normal, comfortable and I want to help them. I feel like I can talk to someone who is damaged and f*ed up in some way. I feel like they can relate to me. What I want is a great boyfriend who will listen to me, kiss me, hug me, love me, and make me feel worthy. What I go for is the unattainable, dirty, bad boy who treats me like a sex object..._

_I got messages from many other guys but I ignored most of them. Its overwhelming. I just want to live!_

_Love_

_L_

"You're late for work!"

"It's not paid. It's helping out my Sister. You should be happy I showed up at all!"

Jessica rolled her eyes. No matter how much Carli tried, she could never meet her sister's standards. At one time they were close but the last person she could trust would be a Sister.

Carli wrote her name on the sign in sheet. She liked to dot the "I" with a face representing how she felt. She drew in a smirk.

"I have been working all day, running this entire store all by myself. You walk in and start to draw. You really think that is the best use of your time?"

"What would we do without you? You are so much better than everyone…" Carli said as she walked to the back of their parents clothing store.

Carli said this as a way to irk Jessica but a small part of her believed it. Her sister was gorgeous with tons of friends while Carli was awkward. She tried to fit in but she nothing she ever did was right. She wasn't cool. She wasn't able to go to places Jessica could because she was younger. She wasn't better at anything. She was a failure from the beginning.

She picked up the clothes off the floor of the dressing rooms and threw them in a bin. She liked it back here because she could hide from people and away from Jessica's perfectness. She started to hang and separate.

Josh grabbed his coffee mug from the nightstand and stumbled downstairs.

"Any coffee left?"

"Some" his Mom said. "Go grab a cup before I toss out."

Josh dragged his feet as he walked across the kitchen. It was afternoon and the sunlight burned his eyes.

"Late night again?"

"Yea."

Josh poured a cup of coffee and went back upstairs to his bedroom where it was dark. Summer had officially started.

"Here you are. I did an oil change, changed the filter and rotated the tires. Total is $89.64"

"Wow you're so sweaty and hot. Maybe you could take me out for a beer sometime-"

"Thanks but I have a girlfriend."

"Well if anything changes, you have my number and I'll let you drive."

Chris handed her the receipt. She wrote her number down, signed it and slid the paper back across the counter. He handed her her keys.

"See you in a few months" he said.

"Or sooner. You'll call" she replied.

She shook her ass as she walked out. He looked at the receipt. He loved Jess… but… he ripped off the girls numbers and put it in his pocket.

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her" he mumbled and walked back out into the garage.

"Oh yeah" a little 12 year old took his slice of pizza and threw it on floor. "You dropped my pizza. Make me another one!"

"I didn't make it. You dropped it."

"Pick it up and make me another one. Serve me, servant."

Nick put his hand down on the table and got close to the kids face.

"Never call me that again" he whispered in a low deep tone. The kid's face dropped. "Now pick it up and eat it."

The kid picked up his piece of pizza off the floor and started to cry.

"STOP" cried his Mom. "Don't eat that. It's been on the floor! Can you get us another one?"

The boy stopped crying and started to glare at Nick. Nick stared back at him.

"Did you hear me? We need another piece. What are you doing?" The mom turned to her friend. "They hire this lazy college kids who want to do nothing."

"I KNOW" her friend replied.

Nick grabbed the plate with the dirty pizza and walked back to the kitchen. He grabbed a piece of pepperoni spat on it and brought it out.

"Here is another piece" he said. "Be careful with this one, little buddy, its fresh!"

_Eat that you little brat!_ He thought. _SUMMER SUCKS!_


End file.
